Jakarta – Thirteen nurses working at the West Sulawesi Regional General Hospital (RSUD) in Mamuju regency have said they were abruptly dismissed from their jobs and are still owed back wages.
Heri Kuswandi, one of the dismissed nurses, said on Monday that the hospital's management had suddenly asked 13 nurses handling COVID-19 patients at the hospital to leave their accommodation.
"We have been left puzzled by the sudden decision. We can't just [leave the regency] for our respective hometowns since the hospital hasn't paid our wages for months," Heri said, as quoted by kompas.com.
The nurses said they planned to rent a house and stay in Mamuju until they received their payment. They had worked in the hospital's COVID-19 isolation ward for more than five months.
West Sulawesi RSUD director Indah denied that the medical workers had been dismissed, claiming that they were actually given an opportunity to take a break from their routine over the past five months.
"This is not a termination. We are just giving the nurses time to recharge their energy," Indah said, adding that time off would also be good for their immune systems.
She acknowledged that some of the nurses were owed wages but said that the payment was being processed and would be sent to the nurses soon. (vny)